Once upon a deception

The Cause 3

Lord Vincent slowly stood. An act that surprised Clarisse and she tried her best to hide the opened letter. If Vincent caught her swooping around his private affairs, He would burn. She turned to face him, hiding the letter behind her back. The healer said it would take an hour or two for him to wake but she wrong.

“You are awake.” Clarisse stammered.

Vincent glowered down at her and placed his palms forward. He knew she had been snooping and the feeling altogether made her just want to disappear. Clarisse, enamored in shame dumped the crumpled piece of paper in his open hands.

“I’m sorry. I just got curious.”

“That is no excuse to be snooping in matters that do not concern you.” Vincent shot back, taking a brief look in the letter.

 Clarisse noticed his eyes widened in terror as he read through the lines. It was the same ominous feeling she had felt while reading earlier. Then almost immediately, Vincent crumpled the paper more and tossed it across the room. Clarisse stood there, pondering on what could have triggered a rather rash reaction. She sought to find out why.

“What will happen now?”

 There was silence as Vincent proceeded to wear his bloodied tunic. Clarisse would not be put down so easy so she continued annoying him with the question again and again up until he wore down and finally considered answering her.

“Nothing happens. There is enough chaos in the village as it is. It would be stupid and reckless of me to force an absurd plan in the people’s face.” Vincent responded, lowering his gaze at Clarisse for a brief second. “Trust me, It will repulse you just knowing the details.”

 To Clarisse, Everything he mentioned about the so-called plan the higher powers wanted to conjure was vague. He was hiding something, She was sure of it.

“Not if you won’t tell me. I am curious. What is it?”

Lord Vincent gave a muffled groan as he frantically searched for a missing shoe. Clarisse had nearly succeeded in making him furious. It would be long before it roused to the point of no return. However, before that happened, The lord planned to flee the room.

 His dramatic nature only augmented Clarisse’s desire to know the details. Like before she followed him around the room like a stray dog. “It cannot be as absurd as you rejecting the orders of a superior.”

Vincent stopped searching. He gave Clarisse a stern look as he fought a mental battle between anger and defeat. Sad enough, Defeat won. Lord Vincent could not just bring himself to hurt her in any way. With a sigh, He replied. “The superiors believe that the way to end the never-ending war in the fight for slave liberation is to cut off the source. The king of Wohar being that source.”

“That is not absurd, Lord Vincent. I must say it is brilliant. If that awful man is dead, The royal families would be in disarray. While they fight for the throne, We would have successful raids.” Clarisse was quick to chime in.

Lord Vincent nodded otherwise. His eyes caught an item sticking under a medicine cabinet and he proceeded to retrieve it, The item being his shoe.

“That is what I was made to believe at first but that is not what made the idea absurd.”He paused, slipping on the shoe. “They don’t want an assassination that can be tracked to the freedom fighters. There is brewing suspicion that nobles are involved with us already so the superiors want a female to do it.”

“I do not understand Lord Vincent. The only female warrior we have did not make it-”

Vincent sighed, finally standing on his feet. “ They want a perfectly planned assassination using someone the royal family would least expect, Someone they would deem insignificant to even consider such a wile act. They want a regular girl. One of our own to infiltrate the castle, kill the King, and pin it all on someone important.”

 True to what the Lord said, Clarisse was not making sense of the whole idea. The superiors were certainly bent on killing the king. What was the need for the intricacy?

As if sensing her confusion, Vincent spoke again. “I believe they plan to drop it on someone closer to inheriting the throne. That way one of our own can usurp the throne and decree s*****y illegal.”

“...illegal.” The last part indulged Clarisse. Suddenly the plan made sense to her. She could not understand why Lord Vincent was against the idea when there was a high chance of success and a fulfilling reward. It was worth the risks.

“Absurd.” Lord Vincent reminded, slowly making his way to the door and signaling their conversation was to come to an end.

“It isn't,” Clarisse said, A statement that made Lord Vincent stop in his tracks. He turned back to face her, immensely surprised by her opinion.

“And why would you think so?” Vincent questioned, trying his best to maintain an open mind. Knowing Clarisse well, He was sure this was another of her descent towards her demons. She wanted revenge against the system that had wronged her and taken away everything she held dear.

“Just imagine a world where we don’t have to hide. A world where people are not murdered for attempting to take back the freedom forcefully taken from them. Is that not why we gave our lives to the cause?”

 In another life, Lord Vincent was sure his protege would make an excellent scholar or perhaps an even greater cult leader. She was persuasive. One of her greater talents. As patriotic as her comment sounded, It still was not enough to make Lord Vincent consider it.

“We made a vow to save lives, Clarisse, Not send people to their deaths and just think about it. Who in this village would willingly walk back to the hell called Wohar?

“No one has a choice. We have given our lives to the cause. It is inevitable for us to lose some good people for a greater good. We all owe who we are today to the freedom fighters. Who would not want to give it back?”

 At any rate, Vincent was determined to kill the idea he had sprung into Clarisse’s mind. If only he had kept his damn mouth shut!

“Like you said Clarisse, We are freedom fighters. Forcing free people into this fight will be b*****e. I know once this madness is dropped to the village, Many will gladly put themselves up but deep within me, I know it is from the indebt and not will. I am not that kind of person.” With that, Lord Vincent made his way out of the hut.

Just as he set foot outside, He heard Clarisse mutter something that made his stomach clench.

“I will willingly do it.”